Poultice-making machine



July 17, 1928. 1,677,685

R. H. PLASS POULTICE MAKING MAICYHINE Filed April 5, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 17, 1928. 1,677,685

R. H. PLAss POULTICE MAKING MACHINEv i 4 Hagi/77 gig/22565 .-r/ 4 I BY l ffl/1,;

Patented July 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

ROBERT H. PLASS, OF UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-N OR TO POLORIS COM- PANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

POULTICE-MAKIN MACHINE.

Application led April 5, 1927. Serial No. 181,128.

.This invention relates to machines for charging endless wrappersand has for its general object to provide an improved construction for machines of this character whereby material which is received from bulk may be charged into the wrapper under greater and more positively-applied pressure than was possible in the poulticecharging mechanism shown and described in U. S. Patent No. 1,605,560 which was granted in my name under date of November 2, 1926.

One o'f the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved charging mechanism for poultice-making machines whereby the poultice material may be delivered undei positive pressure within a continuouslyformed wrapper.

Another object of mv invention is to provide a feed hopper of improved construction and improved means for stirring and` mixing the material therein while it is being .fed to the charging mechanism. 4

lOther and further objects of invention will appear in the specification in connection With the accompanying drawings and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my improved mechanism for charging a continuously formed wrapper, a side cover plate being removed and the hopper for the filler-material being shown in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section .correspending to the line 2-2 of Figure 1, parts being shown in front elevation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section corresponding to the line 3-3 of Figure 1, parts being shown in rear elevation. V

Figure 4 is a front 'elevation of the mechanism with parts removed and the stirrershaft shown in section.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section `of the wrapper-forming and charging meoHanism, parts being broken away and parts shown in side elevation.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on the broken line 6 6, Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan View of the wrapper-forming and stitching mechanism, parts being broken away and'parts shown in section, and y Figure 8 is a fragmentary detailed section on an enlarged scale corresponding to the llne 88, Figure 1.

Main frame and hopper.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, according to the preferred embodiment of my invention shown therein, a main frame or support may comprise a floor plate 1, a pedestal 2, and a conveyor housing 3, said housing being provided above with a top flange 4. Surmounting the flange 4 is a hopper 6 which is adapted to receive the material with which the continuously forming wrapper is to be charged. Mounted upon the forward wall of said hopper is an elongated bearing 7 within which is jour-I -nalled the forward end of a stirrer shaft 8, the rear end of said shaft being journalled in a bearing bracket 9 mounted on the rear wall of said ho per. A collar 10 which is secured to the s iaft 8 by means of a pin 11, is adapted with the' hub portion 12 of a sprocket wheel 13 to hold the shaft 8 against axial displacement in its bearings, said hub portion 12 being secured to said shaft by a pin 14. Running over the sprocket 13 and delivering power thereto is a sprocket chain 15. Mounted in the shaft 8 are a plurality of axially spaced angularly disposed stirring arms 16, the stirrer thus provided being adapted to maintain the filler material within the hopper 6 in a broken up condition for facilitating the discharge of such material through an elongated lpassageway or discharge outlet 17 which extends longitudinally fof the top fiange 4 of the conveyor housing.

Filler-mixture receptacle ami con/veyor.

As shown in Figure '1, a substantially triangular block partition 18 isarranged Withinthe conveyor housing 3 in such a way as is adapted to be raised and lowered along an inclined slot 28 which is formed in one of the lateral walls of the housing 3. The reduced outer end 27 of the stud 26 extends thru an adjustable plate 29 and has threaded thereto a nut '30 which, lwhen it is loosened, permits said plate 29 to be moved edgewise for adjusting the stud 26 along the slot 28 and thereby tightening or loosening up the endless chain 24. When the desired tension is thus secured, the sprocket wheel 25 is maintained in its adjusted position by tightening the nut 30. As shown in Figure 1, the block partition 18 is suitably arranged to form a contracted channel or passageway 32 thru which the links of conveyor chain 24 move downwardly from the upper rear edge of the inclined bottom wall 2O of chamber 19. At its lower forward end, the channel 32 communicates with a. horizontal channel 33 which extends forwardly over a plunger housing to be presently referred to and preferably in the saine vertical plane therewith.

lVrapper-chargz'ng and stitching mechanism.

Means for charging the filler material into the continuously forming wrapper under positive pressure are preferably provided as follows, reference being had more especially to Figures 1, 5, and 6 of the drawings. Thus, within a cylindrical housing 34 is arranged a reciprocatory plunger 35, said housing having open communication with the forward end of channel 33 thru an elongated opening 36 through which the filler material falls whenever the plunger 35 is in retracted position. The forward end of the plunger housing 34 is extended forwardly'to overhang a rearwardly-presented lip 37 carried by a channeled underguide 38 which aids in shaping the filled wrapper as it passes forwardly from the stitching needles to be presently referred to. Oppositely arranged with respect to the underguide38 is a presser foot 39 of a stitching device or sewing machine which includes a needle-carrying beam 40 for laterally spaced stitching needles 41. As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the vpresser foot 39 is connected to the lower end of a supporting stem 42 by means of a screw 43. Said presser foot is provided with laterally-'spaced holes 44 for the passage o-f stitching needles 41 and carries lateral bearing plates 45 for a transverse pin 46 around which passes an upper wrapper-forming tape 47. A suitable boxguide 48 for this tape, is arranged vertically as shown in Figure 1, the upper end thereof being rigidly supported from the inclined forward wall of housing 3 by means of a bracket arm 49. A bottom wrapper-tape 50 passes thru a box-guide 51 which is rigidly mounted upon the main frame by means of a bent strap or bracket 52. Said bottom tape passes around a fixe-d guide-pin 53 and bearing plates 45 are lateral guides 54 for alining the lateral edges of upper and lower wrapper tapes as they pass forwardly under the stitching needles 41. As shown in Figure 5, the plunger 35 in its most forward position projects beyond the stitching needles 41 and hence extends into the open rear end of the forming wrapper. It will be seen furthermore 7that the cylindrical housing 34 for said plunger also projects beyond said needles and in effect constitutes a former around which the tapes are stitched together. It will be understood therefore that as the plunger 35 reciprocates, successive charges of the filler are compressed under a positive pressure within the tubular wrapper.

Power drive transmission.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 4, a vertical power-drivenshaft 60 which is provided with a stepped bearing 61 at its lower end, is journalled in a bearing 62 carried by a bracket arm 63. Keyed to the shaft 60 is a bevel gear 64 which meshes into and drives a smaller ybevel gear 65, the last-mentioned gear being keyed to a. short transverse shaft 66 which is journalled in a bearing 67a. Also keyed to the shaft 66, is a spur-gear 67 which as shown in Figure 1, meshes with another spur-gear r68, the last-mentioned gear being keyed to a sha-ft which is journalled in the main frame and carries at its other end a crank-disc 69. Within a diametral slot 70 in the crank-disc 69, is adjustably mounted a stud 71 to which is pivotally connected one end of a-connecting rod 72- The other end of said connecting rod is pivotally connected to a stud-73 threaded into a vibratory lever 74, said lever being pivotally supportedat its lower `end by a fixed bracket arm 75. The upper end of lever 74 is pivotally connected to one end of a connecting link 76, the other end of said link being pivotally connected to a reciprocatory crosshead 77 by means of a stud 78 which, as shown in Figure 3, is threaded into said cross-head. By an inspection of Figure 1,

it will be seen that the rear end of plunger wall of housing 3. Said bracket-arm is provided along its under edge with a cross-head guide or'track 81 with which the grooved upper surface of the cross-head is in slidable engagement. As shown in Figure 3, said cross-head is provided with a circular hole which fits plunger 35 and is further provided with a slot 82 in such a way' as to permit the depending lobes 83, thatl are formed by said slot, to be drawn together by a screw 84 for clamping said cross-head to the plunger in any position to which it may be adjusted thereon. By means of this construction, it is possible to adjust the position of the plunger with respect to the crosshead and furthermore to adjust the reciprocatory stroke of said cross-head by means of the slotted crank driving connection above described. From an inspection of Figures l and 4, it will beunderstood that power is delivered to the filler-material conveyor by means of a spur-gear 85 which is keyed to the short conveyor shaft 23a and driven b the spur-gear 67 referred to above. aid shaft 23a is journalled in a bearing 86 which projects outwardly from conveyor housing 3.

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with oppositely-disposed grooved guides forming a molding channel for a continuously formed wrapped filler, ofsa tubular housing having one end disposed Ybetween said grooved guides, said tubular/housing being provided with a discharge outlet at its forward end between said grooved guides and an inlet opening dist-ant from said discharge outlet, means for feeding wrapper-forming material between said grooved guides and forming said materialinto a continuous tubular wrapper over the discharge end of said tubular housing, and a plunger reciprocable 'within said housing for charging the filling material into the continuously forming tubular wrapper.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a grooved underguide, of a grooved presser-foot forming therewith a molding channel for a continuously formed wrapped filler, a tubular housing having a discharge outlet at one end 'arranged be-` tween said presser-foot and underguide, means for feeding upper and lower wrapperforming tapes over the discharge end of said tubular housing and between said presserfoot and grooved underguide, means for uniting the opposite lateral edges of said upper and lower wrapper-forming tapes to form a continuous tubular wrapper, and a plunger reciprocable within said housing for charging the filling material into the continuously forming tubular wrapper.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with laterally-spaced stitching needles arranged to `connect together the opposite lateral edges of superin1posed\ wrapper tapes, of a tubular housing provided wit-h a` discharge outlet at one end, the discharge end of said housing being .arranged between and extending forwardly beyond said laterally-spaced stitching needles, means for delivering continuous upper and lower tapes along the outer wall of said tubular housing to said stitching needles, a

plunger reciprocable in said tubular housing and into and out of the rear open end of the continuous wrapper comprising said upper and lower tapes stitched together' along their lateral edges by said needles, said housing being provided with an inlet for filler material, and a conveyor discharging into said inlet.

4. In a. machine of the character described, the combination with means for 'forming a continuous tubular wrapper, of means for charging filler material into said tubular wrapper, a hopper for ller material, a conveyor housing provided. with a discharge chamber disposed below said hopper and with a contracted passageway having its upper yend arranged to receive material from said idischarge chamber and its lower end arranged to discharge material to said wrapper-charging means, and an endless chain conveyor movable downwardly through said contracted lpassageway and upwardly through said discharge chamber..

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a sewing machine for sewing together theedges of wrapper-forming material supplied thereto, of means for supplying the wrapper-forming material t-o said sewing machine, a tubular housing arranged to discharge filler material to the continuous tubular wrapper formed by said sewing machine, a plunger reciprocable in said tubular housing for compressing the filler material within said wrapper, said tubular housing being provided with an inlet for filler material, andmeans for supplying filler materialto said inlet, said means being provided with a contracted conveyor channel discharging into said inlet and including a eonveyor operating vin said channel.

6. n a machine of the character described, the combination with mechanism for forming a 'continuous wrapper, of a tubular housing /having a discharge outlet presented thereto, said housing being provided with an inlet for 'filler material, a hopper provided with a conveyor channel leading to said inlet and a chamber having a bottom wall inclined upwardly toward the opening into said conveyor channel, a conveyor movable upwardly over said inclined bottom wall and thru saidconveyor channel, anda plunger4 reciprocable in said. tubular housing.

\ 7. Ina machine of the character described, the combination with a hopper provided with an outlet chamber having an inclined bottom wall and al conveyor channel eX- tending downwardly .from the upper end of said inclined bottom. wall, said conveyor channel terminating in a forwardly extending horizontal portion, of a tubular plunger housing provided with an inlet opening for receiving material from said conveyor channel, an endless conveyor moving thru said channel and upwardly over the inclined bottom wall of said outlet chamber, a plungeropposite lateral edges of superimposed wrapper tapes, of means for delivering continuous upper and lower tapes to said stitching needles, a plunger reciprocable past and between said stitching needles into and out of the rear open end ofthe continuous wrapper formed by said connected upper and lower tapes, a

,housing for said plunger, said housing being 'provided with a charging inlet 1n its upper wall, a charging conveyor operating in a vertical plane including the reciprocatory axis of said plunger, a hopper arranged above' said charging conveyor, and a charging conveyor housing having open com munication above with said hopper and opening below into said plunger housing.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination with wrapper-forming mechanism, of means for delivering wrap- Iper-forming material to said mechanism,

means for charging filler into the wrapper formed by said mechanism, a hopper arranged above said charging means, said hopper being provided with an elongated discharge'outlet, a discharge chamber contracted downwardly therefrom, and a contracted passageway extending downwardly from saidl discharge outlet at one end of said delivery chamber, and an endless conveyor movable upwardlythru said delivery charnber and downwardly thru said contracted passageway, said passageway discharging to said filler-charging means.

10. In a machine of the characte\ described, the combination with wrapper-forming means, of means for delivering upper and lower tapes to said wrapper-forming means, a plunger reciprocable intoand ou't of the rear open end of the wrapper formed by saidl block partition forming therein a discharge chamber provided with an upwardly `and rearwardly inclined bottom wall .and a contracted passageway thru which said conveyor approaches the inlet opening into said plunger housing, and means for guiding the return movement of said conveyor along said inclined bottom wall and downwardly thru said passageway across said inlet opening in the plunger housing.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination with laterallyspaced stitching needles arranged to connect together the opposite lateral edges of superimposed wrapper tap'es, of means for delivering continuous upper and lower tapes to said stitching needles, means for charging filler material into the rear open end of the continuous wrapper formed by said connected upper and low-er tapes, a housing for said filler-charging means, said housing being provided with a charging inlet in its upper wall, a charging conveyor operating in a vertical plane including the reciprocatory axis of said plunger, a hopper arranged above said charging conveyor, a charging conveyor housing having open communication above with said hopper and opening below into said plunger housing, a block partition forming 'in said conveyor housing a contracted passageway through which said conveyor approaches the opening into said plunger housing, said block partition being provided with a top surface inclined upwardly and rearwardly toward the inlet end of said contracted passageway, and means for guiding the return movement of said conveyor along said inclined top surface.

l2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with laterallyspaced stitching needles arranged to connect together the opposite lateral edges of superimposed wrapper tapes, of means for delivering continuous upper and lower tapes to said stitching needles, a plunger reciprocable past and between said stitching needles into and out of the rear open end of the continuous wrapper formed by said connected upper and lower tapes, ahousing for said plunger, said housing being provided with a charging inlet in its upper wall, a charging conveyor operating in a vertical plane ini cluding the reciprocatory axis of said plunger, a hopper arranged above said charging conveyor, a charging conveyor housing having open communication above with said hopper and opening below into said plunger housing, a block partition forming in said conveyor housing a contracted passageway thru which said conveyor approaches the opening into said plunger housing, said blockpartition being provided with a top surface inclined upwardly and rearwardly toward the inlet end of said contracted passageway, and means for guiding the return movement of said conveyor along said inclined top surface.

ROBERT H. PLASS. 

